New at Google: Local Coupons — Google is expanding its local directory business using the same sort of disruptive tactics it has used in other areas: giving away something for which others charge. — Starting today, Google will let any business offer discount coupons to people who use …

Apple lays legal claim to the word 'Pod' — Apple has laid legal claim to the word "Pod," arguing that other companies that use the word as part of their product names risk infringing the trademark of its popular iPod music player. — The legal campaign, which in recent days has drawn challenges …

Apple: iPod means our pod — Following Google's insistence that media outlets shouldn't be using the term "Googling," Apple Computer has become similarly protective over the word "pod." — The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has sent cease-and-desist letters to at least two companies that include the word …

Windows 5x More Expensive than Mac OS X — I found the first commercial version of Mac OS X fun to check out in 2001, but not very practical to use for real work. It came included as an alternate boot install on my 400 MHz Titanium Powerbook. — Toward the end of 2001, Apple released the next major revision, 10.1.

Dell's Untimely Recall — The computer maker's efforts to improve customer service will be put to the test with a recall of 4 million laptop batteries — As if Dell (DELL) didn't have enough customer satisfaction issues to worry about. Now, the leading PC maker has disclosed that it will recall …

Google Sees Content Deals As Key to Long-Term Growth — Google Inc. drew the ire of media and entertainment companies last year with audacious moves to search new information such as video and books. Now, in a reversal of those missteps, the Internet giant is bringing some of the biggest …

Google Buys Photo Recognition Company — Google announced today on its blog it had acquired Neven Vision, a photo recognition firm whose background is in biometrics, for an undisclosed sum. The technology is to be incorporated into Google's Picasa to improve search of personal photo collections.

Suprise of the month: Macs crash? — OK, I just purchased a Mac. A 17-inch MacBook Pro. I was forced into this by HD and wide-screen video formats. Windows Movie Maker doesn't do it (it does on Windows Vista, but I can't use beta software to run my business). Apple's software does do HD today.

Comcast's Online Goal? Become Another Yahoo — Web Buyers, Expect a Call as Company Bulks Up Net Presence and Adds Video — NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Still think of Comcast as a last-miler, not a content aggregator? Think again. — The cable operator has bulked up its online-sales team …

Who Will Really Make Money in VoIP? — In the early days of WiFi, it was common wisdom to bet on service providers and aggregators to make money as the technology became popular. Somehow that did not work out as planned. Who even remembers names like Cometa that burnt through millions …

Comscore: MySpace Video traffic doubled in July — Web traffic analyst firm Comscore has released their numbers for July and the most striking finding was that traffic to MySpace Video has doubled since June. Prime competitor YouTube saw a 20% increase according to Comscore, putting the site in the top 50 sites visited on the web.